Despicable Me 2 to cross $100m int'l

Universal’s Despicable Me 2 is gearing up for a hefty weekend outside North America after racing to $75.8m.

The family sequel grossed $8.6m from 29 markets on Thursday when it arrived in 18 new territories. It opens in a further 16 this weekend, bringing the total footprint to 45.

According to Universal sources the film scored the biggest opening day for an animated film in Indonesia and Trinidad and Universal’s biggest opening day in Hungary. Heading into the weekend Despicable Me 2 was holding at number one in the UK, France and Australia.

The film is one of two major new releases in North America this weekend and stands at $135.3m worldwide following $59.5m from the first two days at the domestic box office.

The other big opener in North America is Buena Vista’s The Lone Ranger starring Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp and the tentpole opens this weekend through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International in Scandinavia, Italy, Russia, Australia and South Korea.

Man Of Steel has been the dominant force of recent weeks through Warner Bros Pictures International and the Superman saga had reached $272.2m by last weekend. It opens in Brazil on Jul 12 followed by Japan on Aug 30. The Hangover Part 3 stood at $227.5m and The Great Gatsby $179.2m.

Fox International executives reported that DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods stood at $398.5m by Jul 2 while Epic had reached $131.4m.

The Sandra Bullock-Melissa McCarthy comedy The Heat is in early stages and arrives this weekend in Russia and Germany. The Internship on $15.5m opens in the UK.

Horror remake Evil Dead stands at $43m through Sony Pictures Releasing International and independent licensees such as Lionsgate UK and Metropolitan in France. The worldwide tally is $97.4m.

Lionsgate International’s Now You See Me opened in the Netherlands last weekend in second place on $657,000 from 85 screens and the mystery has grossed $49.7m overall and $154.5m worldwide.

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